In the field of textile finishing it is known to subject a fabric to compacting, which serves mainly to stabilize the fabric in its dimensions, preventing subsequent shrinkage and/or unexpected variations in size.
In order to carry out such treatment, some different types of compacting machines are known in the state of the art, which are normally chosen according to the quality of the fabric to be treated, and also the final quality required, the desired productivity, and partly also the type of market for which the fabric is intended.
In particular, compacting machines for knitwear fabrics are substantially divided into two categories, i.e. compacting machines of the felt type and compacting machines of the mechanical type.
The former are generally used to obtain high-quality fabrics, generally intended for markets that require fabrics are soft to the touch, and are therefore used by producers that mainly focus on the quality of the fabrics obtained, often to the detriment of the speed of production.
The latter, on the contrary, are used by producers of fabrics who are required to treat large quantities of fabrics, to the detriment of the quality, mainly in terms of the feel that is conferred on them.
It is known that compacting machines of the felt type comprise, as their main elements, a heated cylinder around which the fabric to be compacted is wound, and a felt strip that rotates outside the fabric and presses the fabric against the surface of the cylinder. The fabric to be compacted is guided to the entrance, between the cylinder and the felt strip, by an introduction element generally called “lead-in”.
The presence of the felt-type compacting element allows to confer on the fabric a high-quality soft feel.
One disadvantage of felt-type compacting machines is that they allow to reach only low work speeds, in the range of 25-35 m/min, and are therefore not very efficient in terms of productivity.
Mechanical compacting machines generally comprise, as their main elements, an introduction cylinder and a rubber-coated cylinder, generally defined “retarding cylinder”, which rotates at a lower speed than the introduction cylinder. The fabric is guided to the entrance between the two cylinders by a shaped blade element.
The compacting of the fabric is determined by the combined effect of the blade shaped element that guides the fabric between the introduction cylinder and the rubber-coated cylinder, and the rubber-coated cylinder that “slows down” the fabric and therefore compacts it in the direction of feed.
Mechanical compacting machines allow to reach much higher working speeds than those of the felt type, up to 60-80 m/min, and allow to obtain high values of compacting, but they confer on the fabric a poor quality feel, to that the fabric is stiff and not soft.
Another disadvantage of mechanical compacting machines is that they do not guarantee high dimensional stability of the fabrics, since only a part of the compacting applied is stabilized and remains over time.
For these reasons, in the state of the art, mechanical compacting machines are mainly used when it is necessary to process large quantities of fabrics, generally average to low quality, in a short time, while felt-type compacting machines are used when fabrics are to be processed that require a high-quality feel.
There is therefore a well-established custom among operators in this field to consider the two treatment methods, and the corresponding types of machine, as intended for different markets, for example high-range and average/small productions for felt-type compacting machines and low-range and high productions for mechanical compacting machines.
Therefore, based on the requests from the makers-up, the market sectors, the garments to be obtained, the productivity required, the price margins obtainable and the technical competence of the operators, a specific choice is made by those operating in the field, who identify and select from the different types of compacting machines the one that best satisfies the requests received.
The purpose of the invention is to overcome the limits of current methods and machines, and to provide a compacting machine with high flexibility and the ability to satisfy requirements considered conflicting and incompatible until now, in an efficient, versatile and compact solution that can be configured according to needs.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.